37000 Feet

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Vrb controller`described an unauthorized 360 degree turn made by a student in the pattern after being sequenced to follow other traffic; the reporter indicating foreign student language barriers were unsafe.

Narrative:

A PA44 was instructed to enter and report a 3 mile left base to runway 11L. Prior to him actually reporting; I instructed him to widen out to the right and enter final at 4 miles to follow a PA28 on the mid-field left downwind. After I took care of some other business; I observed the PA44 doing a right 360 degree turn. After completion of the turn he was now in conflict with the PA28 on the left downwind that he was supposed to follow. I read him the pilot deviation phraseology and got no response. He then replied that he would call the tower. Once again; this was a local flight school aircraft. Most of their students are foreigners and have a very low tolerance for the english language. They constantly do not listen for instructions; do not read instructions back correctly; and when they do happen to hear their call signs mentioned on frequency; can't remember a clearance for more than about 20 seconds and therefore always asking to verify their clearance. The instructors do not fix the situation till after numerous attempts by controllers to rectify the problem. The unauthorized 360 degree turns are not a rare event. It's only by the grace and good mercies of god that we haven't had a mid-air collision yet. It's only a matter of time before this will be the end result. Something has to be done with how these schools operate and with the english proficiency of the students. The situation is out of control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VRB Controller`described an unauthorized 360 degree turn made by a student in the pattern after being sequenced to follow other traffic; the reporter indicating foreign student language barriers were unsafe.

Narrative: A PA44 was instructed to enter and report a 3 mile left base to Runway 11L. Prior to him actually reporting; I instructed him to widen out to the right and enter final at 4 miles to follow a PA28 on the mid-field left downwind. After I took care of some other business; I observed the PA44 doing a right 360 degree turn. After completion of the turn he was now in conflict with the PA28 on the left downwind that he was supposed to follow. I read him the pilot deviation phraseology and got no response. He then replied that he would call the Tower. Once again; this was a local flight school aircraft. Most of their students are foreigners and have a very low tolerance for the English language. They constantly do not listen for instructions; do not read instructions back correctly; and when they do happen to hear their call signs mentioned on frequency; can't remember a clearance for more than about 20 seconds and therefore always asking to verify their clearance. The instructors do not fix the situation till after numerous attempts by controllers to rectify the problem. The unauthorized 360 degree turns are not a rare event. It's only by the grace and good mercies of God that we haven't had a mid-air collision yet. It's only a matter of time before this will be the end result. Something has to be done with how these schools operate and with the English proficiency of the students. The situation is out of control.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.